Apparatus for securing buttons and like fastenings to fabrics.



G. C. SNYDER. APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS AND LIKE FASTENINGS T0 FABRICS. APPLICATION FILED 001.4, 1913. RENEWED MAY 8.19m.

1,205,045. Patented Nov. 14, 1916'.

4 SHEETS--SHEET E15 IL.

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APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS AND LIKE FASTENINGS T0 FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-M1913. RENEWED MAY 8. l9l6.

1,205,045. Y Patented Nov. 14, 1916 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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e. c. SNYDER. APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS AND LIKE FASTEMNGS T0 FABRICS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, I913. RENEWED MAY 8. I916.

1,205,05. Patnbed Nov. 14, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

G. C. SNYDER. APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS AND LIKE FASTENINGS, T0 FABRICS- APPLICATIBWHLED OCT- 4. 1913. RENEWED MAY 8.1916.

1,2 Q5,04=5. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

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GEORGE C. SNYDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SECURING BUTTONS AND LIKE FASTENINGS T0 FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application filed October 4, 1913, Serial No. 793,493. Renewed May 8, 1916. Serial No. 96,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, county of New York, and State of New York,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Apparatus for Securing Buttons and like Fastenings to Fabrics; and'I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple form of mechanism for securing buttons and similar fastening devices to fabrics, such fastening devices involving a button or the like provided with a shank having coaxial spaced walls to form an annular clamping space for the fabric.

In its broad aspects, the invention consists in providing means for perforating the fabric, forcing and stretching the portion of the same about the perforation into the annular space within the shank of the button,

and clamping the fabric between the walls inclosing said annular space, so that the material of the fabric is engaged over a considerable surface by the'button in its clamping action, thereby greatly strengthening the connection between the button and the fabric and reducing the tendency of the button to tear loose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine involving the invention; .Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section; Fig. 3 is a plan view Fig. i is a plan view showing the button feeding and clamping device; Fig. 5 is a front elevation partly in section of the main driving gear and stop mechanism; Fig. 6 is an elevation partly in section of one of the tools for perforating the fabric and engaging the latter with the button; Fig. 7 is a similar view of the tool for effecting the final operation for securing the button to the fabric; Fig. 8 is a modification of the form of tool shown in Fig. 6.

The invention has in contemplation the applications to fabrics of fastening devices of the types shown inmy companion application, Serial No. 790,236, filed September 17, 1913, and in my application filed of even date herewith. The machine is illustrated and described in the present application as operating. upon buttons of the type shown in the latter application, but it is to be understood that it is equally well adapted to apply fastening devices of other specific types involving a hollow central portion provided with two substantially parallel walls adapted to receive and clamp the fabric therebetween.

' Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the table or standard of the machine on the top of which the operating mechanism is supported. Mounted in a bracket 3, secured to the table top, is a shaft 4, upon which is journaled gear wheel 5, which serves to drive the mechanism. The gear 5 is designed to be operated intermittently by means of a rotary lever 6 journaled on the end of shaft t and provided at its outer end with a beveled face dog G adapted to ride over the beveled faces of three lugs 5, spaced at equal distances on the face plate 5 of gear 5, said dog 6 engaging the straight faces of the lugs 5, successively, turning the gear one-third of a revolution for each oscillation of the arm 6. Said arm 6 is actuated by a link 7 having a slotted end 7 cooperating with a pin 6 on the arm 6. Said link 7 is connected at its lower end by a suitable pivotal joint to a block 8, which is adjustably mounted on a reciprocating rod 9 guided in brackets 10 and connected at its lower end to a treadle 9 which is normally held in elevated position by a spring 9 attached to the machine frame.

In order to insure exactly the same extent of movement of the gear 5 for each operation of the machine, there is provided a sliding latch 11 mounted in a block 11 which latch is adapted to engage one of three notches or recesses 5 spaced at equi-distant intervals about the edge of the face plate 5 of the gear 5, as indicated more particularly in Fig. 5. The spring 11 normally forces the latch 11 outwardly, so as to cause said latch to engage the particular recess 5' which next comes in registry therewith. In order to retract thelatch, the latter is provided with a laterally projecting and sliding arm 12 having a nose-piece 12 connected thereto by a rule joint, said nose-piece lying in the path of movement of the block- 8, so that when said block descends with rod 9, when the treadle is depressed, it will strike the nose 12 and withdraw the latch 11 from engagement with notch 53 and finally clear the arm 11 by forcing the latter inward a short distance. On the return or upward movement of the block 8, the latter strikes the pivoted nose 12 from below and the latter swings up without operating the latch 11, because of. the rule joint connection between said nose and the body of the arm 12. WVhen the treadle 9Vis depressed, the rod 9 is pulled downward in its guides, and the'first effect thereof is to cause the block 8 to withdraw latch 11 and release the gear 5. This preliminary movement is made possible by reason of the pin and slot connection between the link 7 and the arm 6. immediately after the gear 5 has been released from latch 11, the pin 6 on arm 6 is engaged by the end of the slot 7 in link 7, and saidv arm 6 is moved downward, thereby imparting a rotatory movement to gear 5 of 120 and until the latch 11 engages the next succeeding recess 5 lVhen the treadle 9 is released, it is moved upward by spring 9 and causes a corresponding movement of rod 9, which causes link 7 to rotate arm 6 in a reverse direction and until the latch 6 rides over the lug 5 lying in the path of its movement, which places the appa ratus in condition for another operation.

Journaled in a bracket 2. secured to the top of the table 1 is a shaft 13 having on its rear end pinion 1 1 which'meshes with gear 5. On the front of said shaft is secured a cam disk 15, provided on its front and rear faces with cam slots 15 and 15 Slidably mounted in arm 2 of bracket 2 is a plunger 16 provided with a slotted intermediate portion 16, through which the end of shaft 13 projects to serve as a further guide for said plunger. Secured to the plunger 16 in position to cotiperate with the cam slot 15 is a pin 16 having a roller on its outer end, so that the plunger is reciproeated in a vertical direction by the rotation of the disk 15.

Pivotally mounted on the lower end of the plunger 16 and secured thereto by collars 17 is ahead 17, provided with two forwardly projecting arms 17 and 17, and one rearwardly projecting arm 17. Adjustably mounted in the end of the arm 17 c is a special tool or punch 18 having sharp pointed lower end 18 above which is an enlargement 18 in which is formed an annular space, the purpose of which will be- ,described later. Similarly connected to the outer end. of the arm 17 is a spindle-like tool having a tapered lower end 19 and a shouldered enlargement'19 above the tapered end, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

The arm 17 is provided at its outer end with a forked pin 17", which is engaged by a pin 19 on a rock lever or bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on a bracket 2, which rock-lever carries at its upper end, a roller bearing pin 19 which engages the cam slot 15 in the rear face of'disk 15, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The functions of the tools 18 and 19 are first to puncture the fabric by means of the sharp end of the tool 18, and then stretch and force the fabric adj acent the puncture into the annular space defined by the walls constituting the shank of the button. These operations are followed by the withdrawal of tool 18 and the subsequent engagement of tool 19 with the button to clamp the latter to the fabric either by spreading the interior wall of the button shank laterally or turning the projecting end of the inner wall of the button shank to form an overlying flange, or, if desired, to perform both of these operations, as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth. The purpose of the cam slot 15 and rock lever 19 is to swing the head 17 horizontally to bring the tools 18 and 19 successively into position to operate upon the button.

Journaled in vertical brackets 26 secured to the table top is a shaft 26 carrying a pinion 28 meshing with gear 5, and secured to said shaft 26 is a drum 25 provided on its surface with a cam slot having a straight section 25" extending half way around the drum and connected by a curved section 25". The purpose of this cam slot is to effect the operation of the gripping and holding mechanism which receives the buttons one at a time and feeds them to operative position on an extension 1. at the front of the table and in line with the effective reciprocatory movements of the tools 18 and 19, respectively. The button gripping and feeding mechanism comprises a pair of scissorlike jaws 20 having registering notches at their forward ends to embrace the shank of the button and to hold the same securely while it is being fastened to the fabric. The rear arms of the clamping jaws beyond the pivot 20 are each provided with a pin 20 which engages a cam slot or race-way 22 in the top of table 1. Each of the slots 22 is continuous and they cause the jaws to open and close as the gripping device is reciprocated transversely of the table. The forward portions of the .slots 22 converge, so that as the gripping device 20 is advanced, the arms thereof are caused to close upon each other, and as said gripping device is retracted, its arms are opened or spread apart. To effect this operation, each of the slots 22 is provided near its outer end with a pointed switch tongue 23, which is normally held in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, so that as the pins 20 travel along the inner reaches of the slots, the jaws of the gripping device 20 are closed, and when said pins reach the extreme end of the slots 22, the tongues 23 are first shifted by the pins and then spring behind the pins, so that when the gripping device is retracted, the pins ride on the outer lateral faces of the tongues 23, and are thereby guided into the outer reaches of the slots 22 opening the gripping jaws 20. This opera- 30 tion is cyclical and alternately opens and closes the jaws of the gripping device 20 as the latter is reciprocated backwardly and forwardly with respect to the front of the machine. The reciprocation of the gripping device is effected by means of a rod 21 connected at its forward end to the pivot 20 of the gripping device and guided at its rear end by a slot 20", which engages a pin 21 in the table top. In order to accurately guide the travel of the gripping device 20, a slide bar 20 is connected to pivot 20 and engages at its ends with stationary guideways 20 mounted on the table top.

To feed the buttons to the gripping device 20, the machine is provided with a hopper 30 to receive the buttons, which hopper may be of any suitable size and shape, and

which may be conveniently provided with a rotating bottom 30*, which serves to agitate the buttons and cause the latter. to assume the proper position to enter a feed chute 35 connected to the hopper and running downwardly across the front of the machine.

The buttons are fed down against the end of the chute, where they are in position to be gripped and carried out laterally of the chute, as shown in Fig. 1. The rotation of the hopper bottom 30 may be effected by means of a beveled pinion 30 secured thereto, which meshes with abeveled' gear 31, mounted upon a shaft 32, journaled in bracket arm 3 and carrying a pinion 83 meshing with driving gear 5. The cross section of the contour of the chute 35 is such as to receive the buttons only when the latter are presented to the chute entrance face downward, and therefore in proper position to be operated upon by the tools 18 and 19. As illustrated, the apparatus is designed to operate uponbuttons having the general form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 each button consisting of a body portion or head m provided with a tubular stem n terminatin a basal flange 0 and a central hollow thimble p fitting into the socketed center of the button and having its cylindrical wall spaced from the wall of the stem a to provide an annular recess 1" within the shank of the button, the end of the thimble being extended sufficiently to admit of its being bent or upset to form a flange 9 overlying the flange on the hollow stem.

The operation of the machine 1s as follows: Normally the several parts of the apparatus occupy the relative positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the plunger 16 retracted and tool 18 in position to be brought down to operate upon a button and tool 19 swung around adjacent the trough 85 to be out of the way of the cloth or fabric. The buttons are fed down the chute from the hopper in the relation indicated in Fig. 2. The operator depresses pedal 9*, thereby rotating gear 5 through one-third of a revolution, as hereinbefore described, and thereby causing cam disk 15 and cam drum 25 to make one complete revolution. The first result of this action is that the cam drum 25 advances the gripping mechanism 20 across the lower end of the chute and until the gripping jaws thereof lie on either side of the lowermost button in the chute. The pin roller 21* on rod 21 of the gripping mechanism then passes from the curved portion 25 of the cam slot in the drum 25, into the straight peripheral section of the cam slot 25 which relation marks the advanced position of the gripping mechanism. During the advance movement of the gripping mechanism, the arms of the gripping jaws 20 are closed about the shank of the button in the lower part of the chute and carry the button forward to a position on the table section 1 in alinement with the path of movement of the tools 18 and 19. The button is held by the gripping mechanism in this position so long as the pin roller 21 remains in the straight circumferential section 25 of the cam slot in drum 25. During the feeding of the button by the gripping mechanism to a position to be operated upon, the plunger 16 is retained in its upper position and the rotary head 17 occupies the relation shown'in Figs. 1 and 2 with the tool 18 in vertical alinement with the button to be fastened. Immediately thereafter, howey'er, the pin roller 16 on plunger 16 enters the sharply curved portion of the cam slot 15, which forces the plunger downward. Just before this action takes place, the operator brings the fabric to which the button is to be secured in position over the shank of the button, and as the plunger 16 descends, the punch end 18 of tool 18 perforates the fabric and passes through the hollow shank of the button. The hollow sleeve-like enlargement 18" of tool 18 then engages the fabric surrounding the opening and stretches the same over the exterior of the hollow thimble p of the button and forces and stretches the fabric surrounding the perforation therein into the annular space r, as illustrated in Fig. 6. As soon as this has been effected, the continued rotation of the cam disk 15 causes pin roller 16 to retract the plunger and lift tool 18 out of engagement with the button. At this time, pin roller 19 engaging the cam slot 15 on the rear face of disk 15 causes bell-crank lever 19 to swing head 17 on the plunger 16, thereby carrying tool 18 out of alinement with the button and bringing tool 19 in axial alinement with the button. Immediately thereafter the pin roller 16 enters the second sharply curved portion of the cam slot 15 and again depresses the plunger 16, which carries the tool 19 downwardly, until the tapered end 19 thereof passes through the shank of the button, the taper on the tool first expanding the walls of the thimble 77 laterally to cause the sameto grip the cloth against the adjacent walls of the tubular stem of the button, and later, a shouldered enlargement '19 of the tool 19 engages the projecting end of the thimble 71 and bends the said thimble end over to form a horizontal flange g overlying the cloth and the flange 0 on the lower end of the hollow stem n of the button. T he plunger is then withdrawn by the co-action of the cam slot 15, and the pin roller 16", and the head 17 is rotated in the opposite direction to again bring tool 18 in alinement with the button, by the cooperation of the bell-crank lever19, pin roller 19', cam slot 1'5 and the connection between the lower end of the lever 19 and the slotted pin 17 connected to arm 17" of the head 17. lVhen the parts have been moved to these relative positions, the cam rollers 16 and 19 occupy the concentric sections of the cam slots 15 and 15 and the plunger is not actuated further until a subsequent operation of the treadle 9 Immediately after the tool 12-) is withdrawn from the button, and the button has been secured to the fabric, the pin roller 21 on rod 21 of the gripping devices enters the longitudinally curved portion of the cam slot 25 and thereby begins to retract the gripping device 20. The first rearward movement of the gripping device causes pins 20 on the rear ends of the arms thereof to ride on the outside edges of the switch tongues 23, thereby spreading the arms of the gripping device, scissors-wise, against the tension of the'spring 20 tending to hold the arms together, which re-' leases the button from the gripping device. The continued rearward movement of the gripping device completes the spreading of the jaws, and the said jaws are held in open position so long as the pins 20" engage the outside members of the cam slot 22, that is to say until the roller 21 reaches the sharp turn in the rear portion of the cam slot 25", at which time the machine comes to rest by the operation of the stop mechanism which checks the rotary movement of the driving gear 5 after the latter has completed onethird of a revolution. Simultaneously, the cam disk 15 comes to rest with the several parts cooperating therewith occupying the relative positions indicated in Fig. 1. The various operations are then repeated by the operator again depressing treadle 9 and adjusting the fabric to a position to receive another button.

It will be particularly noted that aside from the actual operation of depressing and releasing the treadle and adjusting the fabric to position to receive the buttons, the operation of the machine is automatic, so

that the operator may occupy both hands in the manipulation of the fabric and is required to give no attention to the feeding of the buttons, or to the proper adjustment of the tools which act successively to rigidly secure the button to the fabric.

In operating on certain stiff or coarse types of fabric, such as leather, canvas and the like, it may be of advantage to provide the edge of the tubular portion 18 of the tool 18 with teeth or serrations to grip the fabric and stretch and force the same into the generally cylindrical annular space 1" in the shank of the button and defined by the walls a and p constituting the shank.

In adapting the machine for operation upon other types and shapes of buttons, or upon eyelets or similar fastening devices having the characteristic features of the button illustrated, to wit, the hollow shank provided with spaced parallel walls to form an annular recess between the walls, into which the material is forced, it is only necessary to change the feed chute from the hopper to accommodate the particular forms of fastenings employed and to substitute tools of suitable size and shape for the particular tools 18 and 19, as illustrated, and also, if

,necessar to substitute a )10 er sized 'ri ping member 20, or in the alternative, to provide such gripping member with removable jaw sections at its gripping end, which jaw sections may be provided in proper sizes to accommodate various sizes of fastening devices. I

What I claim is z- 1. In a machine for attaching buttons and the like, having hollow shanks with co-aXial spaced walls forming an annular clamping space, the combination of means for feeding and holdin the buttons, means for puncturing the fa ric and forcing the edges thereof about the puncture into the space between the co-axial walls of the button shank, and means for expanding the inner wall of the shank to grip the fabric.

2. In a machine for attaching buttons and the like, having hollow shanks with co-axial spaced walls forming an annular clamping space, the combination of means for feeding and holding thebuttons, means for puncturing the fabric and forcing the edges thereof about the puncture into the space between the co-aXial walls of the button shank, and means for forming the edge of the inner wall of the shank into a flange to overlie and grip the fabric.

3. In a machine for attaching buttons and the like, having hollow shanks with co-axial spaced walls forming an annular clamping space, the combination of means for feeding and holding the buttons, a plunger having an oscillating head, means to reciprocate said plunger, means to oscillate said head between reciprocations of the plunger, a tool on said head to puncture the fabric and force the material thereof into the space between the co-axial walls of the button shank in one position of the head, and a second tool on said head to deform the inner wall of the button shank and thereby clamp the fabric between said walls in the second position of the head.

4. In a machine for attaching buttons and the like, having hollow shanks with co-aXial spaced walls forming an annular clamping space, the combination of means for feeding and holding the buttons,.a plunger having an oscillating head, means to reciprucate said plunger, means to oscillate said head between reciprocations of the plunger, a tool on said head to puncture the fabric and force the material thereof into the space between the co-axial walls of the button shank in one position of the head, and a second tool on said head to form a flange on the end of the inner wall of the button shank to overlie and grip the fabric.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE C. SNYDER. Witnesses:

CHAS. J. ONEILL, VERNON T. HOUGHTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

